Speaking to Citizen TV on Wednesday, April 29, contrary to his expectations, Omondi was taken into quarantine for another 14 days where he only interacts with his family members via CCTV cameras and WhatsApp video calls.

"Things have really changed from the time I left isolation into quarantine. There is a new norm that has now set in, I am unable to meet my family members for meals even though we are in the same physical space," he said.

Omondi, who is quarantined in one of their houses, said whenever he needs anything for use, he has to make a call and the family members can only drop it at the door of the house.

Omondi can only interact with his family members via WhatsApp video calls and CCTV cameras. Photo: Screenshot from Citizen TVSource: UGC

"When I received my results that I had tested positive for COVID-19, I was extremely scared and felt like the earth should open and swallow me. I felt like dying not because of coronavirus but the things I had heard about the virus," he said.

Omondi said the stigma from his neighbours and friends was on another level that they cannot even come close to him and the best they can do is just to greet him from a distance.

He said upon testing positive, some of his friends were calling him and instead of consoling him, they were abusing and threatening him.

"My friends were calling me and asking me why I had interacted with them and yet I had coronavirus. For me I didn't know I was infected, the least they would do is give me courage to battle the disease," said Omondi.

He said by people stigmatising those who have COVID-19, the net effect could be people avoiding the tests just for fear of being called names by friends and neighbours.